problem with dirty oven!

[tree-peony]

I'm after a bit of advice! Our last lot of guests obviously cooked something in the oven that made a massive mess. It took me over 4 hours to clean it and it's still not perfect. I suspect something like roast duck with no cover/foil on as fat had spilt onto the floor of the oven and burned on and the racks and sides were COVERED.

Now whilst I don't expect guests to clean the oven after normal use, this was more than a bit OTT and our T&C does state that the apartment should be left in a "reasonable condition" SO do I deduct from the deposit, and if so, how much?

[A-two]

Wow, that's bad! It must have been an explosion of food! Of course you are entitled to charge, that is definitely not a normal clean, but as with all deductions, first you have to decide whether or not you would have them back.

If the answer is yes, except for the oven, then you can't charge anything, because whatever the amount, you will lose them. If the answer is no, then I would ask for reimbursement for the extra time - 4 hrs @ typical hourly cleaning rate - but know that you will never hear from them again.

Our oven is self cleaning but takes several hours to complete, so on a normal rushed changeover, it has to be done manually. The worst I have ever seen took an extra hour and a whole can of the most toxic oven spray, the cost of which I did not pass on as it was the only thing by an otherwise well behaved guest.

Since then, I started buying disposable oven liners at $2 a piece, which are disposable heavy duty foil sheets that fit in the bottom of a standard size oven and catch everything. I am also now supplying several large and disposable foil cooking trays with deep sides, which I place inside the oven at Checkin, so they can't avoid them. These cost 4 for $1 in the local $1 store. Combined with a roll of tin foil, we have virtually eliminated the oven clean up task, so the worst I get now is a few splashes on the sides and edges of the racks.

My 2 cents.

(p.s. I justify my carbon footprint from buying the foil liners and trays by savings I am making on the 3 hours of electricity required to run the self cleaner or a can of toxic oven spray which ends up in the landfill.)

[Chianti]

Anon2

I agree totally with you. Would you be kind enough to list the products which you used both to line the oven and clean it on the tried and tested list. Cleaning ovens has to be one of the worst jobs ever

Chianti

[A-two]

<thread creep>The oven liners are exactly the same as listed on Ebay Item# 220117291052, called EZ FOIL ALUMINUM OVEN LINERS. 18-1/4" x 15-3/4" I am not sure about using in gas oven, but they are great for standard electric ovens in the USA, which is where I am. It slides underneath bottom element, sits on the oven floor. One tray may last several weeks since not everyone cooks or if they do, not everyone spills. I don't use anything special for oven spray, whatever can is on sale, it's all horrid.</thread creep>

[KathyG]

I always use Mr Muscle (UK), nasty but brilliant! Lakeland sell an oven liner, it's coated with silicon so everything just slides off it and it's reusable.

[Hells Bells]

Self-cleaning oven in the house, and the one in the apartment is so small (to my great embarrassment) that it is very easy to clean up.

[tree-peony]

thanks for the tips chaps

I haven't been able to buy a decent oven cleaner here so i can see me bringing some Mr Muscle with me next time!

[remote]

I have two oven trays that came with the oven. One I just cover with foil and leave sitting on the bottom of the oven. I also leave a roll of tin foil. My cleaner changes it before new guests but reports that people have mostly taken the hint and done it themselves.
Mandy

[Bellywobble]

I do exactly the same!

I just wish my sons would take the hint the same as my guests do!

[cottageguru]

OMG how I miss Lakeland!! There's not much I miss about UK but that is one of the biggies. They have a product called Ovenmate which is the best ever for cleaning stuck on stuff in the oven. You paint it on with the brush that is supplied and leave it for an hour or two. Everything just wipes off.

Funny to read this after a post I wrote on my blog this morning about self cleaning ovens. I have a five hour changeover time, so if necessary I can do a self-clean in that time, but I also use liners as well. It's got to be pretty disastrous to need the self-clean though.

Charging is a difficult one. If everything else was great I might be inclined to let it go, but if it was combined with any other mess, then I'd be looking to make a charge.

[tree-peony]

I've already deducted! thanks!